Pierre André Senizergues, CEO, Sole Technology

As anyone can tell you, this groundbreaking election is one for the history books. Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat or a concerned French man, the issues at hand can’t be ignored.

At Sole Technology, we’re cultivating environmental awareness in action sports and promoting the understanding that the wellbeing of our planet is linked to the long-term success of our industry and business in general.

It is refreshing to see that both candidates have issues surrounding energy and the environment at the core of their plans, because the future of not only our nation but our entire planet depends on it.

Both candidates have acknowledged that climate change is real, and human activity has accelerated global warming. The reduction of carbon emissions is widely considered the first and best way to slow the warming of our planet.

After conducting a companywide eco-audit to look closely at how our business practices were impacting the environment, we set a goal to become carbon neutral by 2020. We saw that our employee commuting patterns contributed to roughly 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere annually. To offset this, we implemented a strategic carpooling program. With employee participation, we are hoping to reduce that amount by 900,000 pounds.

Both candidates plan to institute a cap-and-trade system to limit industrial carbon emissions. If companies pollute more than they are allowed, they would have to purchase additional “carbon credits” at a government auction. Through these measures and more, both candidates plan to cut emissions by as much as 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

I didn’t want to get too political but just wanted to shed some light on the issues that are near and dear to me. I encourage you to always vote for the environment. The changes we make as individuals will ultimately decide the future of our planet, election or not.

The changes can be small and, of course, fun. As a skateboarder, fun always has to be a part of the equation. With Halloween just around the corner, I am hosting a HallowGreen party. Stay tuned!

Cheers,

PAS

The top of Sole Technology's headquarters has a system of 616 solar panels.

This is Sole Technology's environmentally friendly headquarters in Lake Forest.